The Queen

Here's what's been dominating my thoughts lately:

My Super Granny.

She's been fighting a horrible infection in her foot for a while now. She stopped driving well over a year ago (that's a story for another day and it's best told first hand by Granny or Uncle Dave Stamp) and has been forced to sit on her behind almost all day with her foot elevated and wrapped up in a booty. THIS HAS BEEN DRIVING HER NUTZ. If you know my Grandmother, she's usually on the go, discount/coupon shopping at LOP Holiday Market or Safeway (stalking up on choco chips and brown sugar-crucial ingreds for those famous Congo Squares), Hallmark card browsing at Longs or in the clearance section at Ross (Dress for Less), filling big trash bags with clothes to take to the Catholic church and donate to the poor. So now with this foot biz keeping her pretty grounded, she has made a make-shift "office" for herself on the love seat in her living room, with her Frank Sinatra books within reach and her statistics book right on her lap as she fanatically keeps track of the Giants' wins and loses, runs, errors, etc etc etc... And whenever there is nobody  is looking, she's on her feet for a quick 20 minutes to throw in a batch of Congos that will be distributed to her family and friends in the greater LOP area or just to the mail lady (bless you) who hand delivers mail to her doorstep.

So my Grandmother naturally has everyone at her service, wanting to help out, do her errands, take her around... but Granny HATES THAT. She is such a proud and independent woman, that it's killing her to be so still. Those are just 2 of the endless qualities that I admire in my (funky) G-ma so it's also killing me to know that it's killing her. But she makes her funnies just sitting on the couch, anyway she can, because that woman is determined and really, just the happiest, most fulfilled human being I know. She doesn't have a mean bone in her body (her old timer ignorance doesn't count.. she still calls Asians 'Orientals,' has some catchy little rhyme about a China man eating dead rats, and she has some pretty great anecdotes about her Indian doctor ("who's just so serious, honey, that's why I tell her things like, 'I'm going to sell the extra pills to the kids on the street,' "). Last week at the Optometrist someone asked her what was up with her foot..."As the kicker of the football team, I just kicked one too many." What other 85 year old lady wearing floral capris and a disco Fedora would so naturally answer someone's sympathetic question about her (rather serious) foot issue like that?

Let's face it, my Grandmother is a gem of gems. If you are reading this, I am sure that some way or another she has had an impact in your life... Or you have tasted her famous Congos....Or she has welcomed you into her home for a day, a night or a even years, or if none of those things, she has prayed for you or your cousin's husband's ex-father-in-law's boss' grandchild who is battling asthma. Granny has a methodical and extensive prayer list, kept safely in her head and she goes through the list (organized by category) every day. She once told me it takes her more than 11 minutes to get through it. Every morning. Try sitting down and praying or sending positive thoughts to different people for 11 minutes straight, everyday. It's time consuming, and we probably can't think of enough people to pray for. If my Grandmother ever finds out about someone being sick, under going surgery or recovery of some sort, battling any kind of challenge that life may throw their way, they make it on the list. She has categories such as: Cancer, Alcoholics, (recovering or relapsing), Children, Grandchildren, Unemployment, etc. This woman is truly heaven sent.

So thanks to my Aunt Nancy and the heroic team effort of all her children (and their families), Granny has officially avoided hospital time and an extended stay in Assisted Care.. Instead, she gets to stay cozy in her "office" with her antibiotic IV drip kicking that infection's ass, right from her living room (with a spectacular view of the year-round Christmas tree). My Mom, Dad, Uncle and Aunt are all being trained to administer the IV as and when she needs it. I spoke with my Granny last week and even though on the inside I know that she is extremely grateful for everyone's help and company, she doesn't "understand what the big fuss is all about." That's my champion Grandmother. So if you made it through this post, and have an extra 30 seconds in your day, please, for her sake and mine, how bout sending a little positive energy that little lady's way???!!!

Love you, Grandma!
See you in July, and if I have to haul you over my shoulder to take you to some baseball games, you know I will. 
XOXO